


The Spoken Word

by fenellaevangela



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 04:44:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16401542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fenellaevangela/pseuds/fenellaevangela
Summary: You'll realize that no matter how many times you drift with someone, you still have to say "I love you" at the right moment.— Guillermo Del Toro in thePacific RimCommentary





	The Spoken Word

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wallflowering](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallflowering/gifts).



It took two years, a think tank of the PPDC's best and brightest, and far more political wheeling and dealing than Jake had ever signed up for (as he reminded Nate, each and every time he had to put on his dress uniform), but they got there. They had a path to and from the Anteverse. They had a goddamn plan of attack. And tomorrow it was all going to happen. The Precursors had better be watching their backs. 

Pentecosts don't make idle threats.

What Pentecosts also don't do, as far as Nate could tell, was cut the bravado for two damn minutes and have a serious conversation.

“We're gonna kick their arses,” Jake was saying, a little bit tipsy from dinner and crowded shoulder to shoulder next to Nate in his bunk. “And after we kick their arses, you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna find those Akumagami Front pricks- ”

Nate sighed. “Jake - ”

“Okay, you got me, first we come back and round up Jules and do a little celebrating, right? But after that I want to track down the head Akumagami arseholes and personally show 'em their gods aren't coming back. I can't wait to see the look on their faces! I hate those guys.”

Nate could understand the sentiment. Along with the PPDC's announcement that they were taking the fight to the Precursors came a lot of public relations headaches, but the worst side effect by far had been the Akumagami Front ramping up its sabotage efforts to unprecedented levels. Keeping up with them had been a pain in the ass and honestly, Nate hated them too. But showing them up wasn't what Nate was thinking about right now.

“Sure, Jake. Whatever you want,” he said.

Jake turned his head and leaned back so he could squint at Nate from two inches away. “What's up with you? We're going to win, man, come on. Don't get all morose on me.”

“Do you actually wanna know?” Nate asked. “Or are you going to brush me off? Again.”

For a split second Nate could see something register in Jake's eyes and he wondered if maybe this conversation was actually going to happen this time. But then, just as Nate had predicted, the easy smile came back and Jake gave him a light shove.

“Ah, come on, you've just got pre-fight jitters,” he said. “You've gotta loosen up! Look, I think I've got a beer stashed here somewhere, one won't hurt . . .”

Jake got up and began rustling through drawers, leaving Nate cold where the two had been pressed up together. As Nate watched the other man searching for the elusive contraband he realized that it didn't matter that Jake didn't want to talk about it. Jake never wanted to talk about it. And what if this was the last chance they got?

“Jake, stop. Listen to me,” Nate said. Jake didn't acknowledge him, but whatever. This was happening. “We both know going to the Anteverse might end up being a one-way trip - ”

That did it. Jake spun around to face him. 

“You can't think like that!” Jake snapped.

“I can't be realistic?” Nate asked. “If we die tomorrow – or the next day, or . . . I don't want to have unfinished business, okay? Especially between you and me. I don't want us to feel unfinished.”

Jake shook his his head, every part of his expression making it clear that he thought Nate was the one being unreasonable here. “We're going to win, all right? There isn't any other option. So just save your deathbed confessions for when you're all old and wrinkled.”

“God, why are you like this?” 

“Oh, 'like this' am I? Like what, exactly?”

“Uh, stubborn?” Nate said. “Emotionally stunted? We both know what I want to talk about, but every time I try, you change the subject. Why?”

Jake threw up his hands. “You've been in my head, Nate. Bloody hell – we drifted this morning! I'm not avoiding anything, I'm not hiding it, you _know_.”

“I _know_ you don't want to do anything about it!” Nate snapped. He jumped to his feet. “Just like when we were cadets. We could be in each other's heads every day but it's not the same thing as using your words. Did it ever occur to you that I might want a real – mmf!”

The kiss, when it happened, was so abrupt that Nate didn't realize what was going on until Jake was already pulling away. He left his hands framing Nate's face, and Nate lifted one hand to rest on Jake's wrist.

“You want words, yeah? I'll give you words,” Jake said. “But first maybe you want more of that? Hmm?” He had the gall to look smug about it, too.

Nate rose his eyebrows. “Are you kidding? Are you actually joking right now? If this just another stall tactic I swear to God the Precursors aren't even going to get a _shot_ at you.”

“And I'm the stubborn one,” Jake said, rolling his eyes. But then he leaned back in, and Nate could feel the warmth of the other man's breath against his ear, and when he finally spoke it felt like something was falling into place.

And what he said was, “Of course I love you, you bloody tosser.”


End file.
